Masters degrees in Education Management explore the effective organisation of education establishments. They develop skills in managing personnel, administrative processes and policy.
Programmes range from taught MA and MSc degrees, to vocational MBA courses. Entry requirements normally include an undergraduate degree for taught courses, and relevant work experience for professional programmes.
The Higher Education Management MBA will develop your understanding of the key concepts in the academic literature and in the field of professional practice relevant to higher education management. It will increase your capacity for critical reflection on your own professional practice, drawing on a range of theoretical and practice-based perspectives.
This programme will give you insights into new areas of management, enabling you to effect a change of career orientation and to become part of a senior higher education management network.
All students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of four core modules (90 credits) and either four optional modules (60 credits) and a report (30 credits), or two optional modules (30 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
Dissertation/report
All students submit either a 10,000-word report on successful completion of a consultancy project in a Higher Education Institution, or a 20,000-word dissertation on a topic relevant to the programme.
Teaching and learning
Teaching methods include lectures, tutor and student-led seminars and discussions, critical engagement and discussion of relevant literature and syndicate group work. Assessment is by presentations, essays, the successful completion of a consultancy project in an HEI, or a dissertation on a topic relevant to the programme.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Higher Education Management MBA
Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas. Some are working as university pro vice-chancellors, while others have jobs as heads of university administration. Graduates can also be found working as directors of policy in national higher education organisations.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
The MBA will give you a holistic and strategic understanding of how universities are managed, linking together the key aspects and enabling you to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and experience.
Being on the programme signals that you are on course for a senior management and leadership role in higher education.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
You can gain a professional Master's while working full-time in higher education.
The intensive, one week per term format allows you to manage your programme to suit your job and other commitments.
This is a specialist MBA that will give you an advantage in your career.
Many participants have gained promotion or been offered new roles whilst still on the programme.
You learn from leading professionals and experts in key aspects of higher education management and leadership.
The contributors to our MBA are among the best in their field, leaders of universities and the top academics on the topics covered.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Education, Practice & Society
78% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
Gain a strong foundation in education practice and theory with our Master of Education degree. Delve into contemporary education issues, connect with the latest developments in the field, and garner the expertise to move beyond the classroom.
With a flexible course structure, featuring nine specialisations and extra electives, you can pursue your own interests and further your specialist teaching practice. Commonwealth Supported Places are available for all eligible domestic students and advanced standing is available to qualified educators who wish to fast-track their studies.
The Master of Education offers professional learning for educators in a broad range of fields, including early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary, vocational and adult.
It’s designed for professionals who already hold, or seek to move into:
Please note that the Master of Education is not a teaching qualification.
In this course you will:
The Management of Special Education in Developing Countries is a full-time programme for teachers, administrators and non-governmental organisation staff who are working in special education in developing countries and who wish to develop their management or leadership expertise. Although most students are not from the EU, this course is also suitable for UK/EU students.
Download information on all the postgraduate study programmes in the School of Education (PDF)
The Management of Special Education in Developing Countries programme is for teachers, administrators and NGO staff who are working in special education in developing countries and who wish to develop their management or leadership expertise. The programme combines modules in Special Education with modules in International Studies in Education, using theory and practice from both in order to enable participants to improve management practice in the national context in which they work. A research dissertation also enables participants to put together management and special education in a uniquely relevant way for them.
This International Studies in Education programme has been taught at the School of Education for 50 years, and the School has one of the largest SEN departments in the UK. In consultation with tutors, you will choose modules totalling 100 credits from those available in the International Studies in Education and Special Education programmes, with a minimum of two modules from either field. You will also need to take the Researching Education module. A research dissertation will enable you to put together management and special education in a way which is uniquely relevant way for you.
The course permits a choice of modules from the International Studies in Education, and Special Educational Needs, courses. Students attend regular lectures and seminars for the first two terms, have personal dissertation supervision for the third term, and are assisted to access a wide range of library and online learning resources. The course is assessed by coursework assignments and a dissertation, and topics can be chosen to match the interests, expertise and needs of students. Some students do fieldwork for their dissertation in another country, but this is not a requirement. It is helpful if students have experience of working with disabled children in different countries, and bring relevant materials, which are not available online, for their coursework, e.g. printed project evaluations, reports in local languages, health education materials, photos and videos.
The MA in Management of Special Education in Developing Countries is ideal for graduates who wish to develop their management or leadership expertise within special education. Upon completion of this course, you will have experience in managing a variety of learning needs within your school and support colleagues to take a more inclusive approach in their own pedagogy. =
With this Master’s degree, graduates will become eligible to apply for a range of international posts in relation to SEN, Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR), and project management. Sites such as ‘Devnet’ and ‘UN Jobs’ provide many examples of relevant opportunities. The degree does not give qualified teacher status in the UK or elsewhere, but is a valuable additional qualification for those who have a relevant first degree (e.g. international studies, psychology, social work, development studies, public policy), and/or a teaching or health care qualification.
There is the opportunity to work towards a further professional qualification in the field of Education both within schools and in other settings, including progression to a PhD. The excellent careers advice provided by personal tutors has encouraged many of our graduates to successfully apply for leadership roles related to inclusion and diversity in schools and other educational settings. These include: lecturers, policy developers, head teachers, special educational needs coordinators and managers of community and charitable organisations.
Are you looking to get the edge in the world of education management? If so, our MA Education (Global Education Management) course is for you; it’s the only degree of its kind in the UK and is intended to meet the needs and changes the education system faces across the world.
It is relevant to anyone interested in working in education settings ranging from early years to higher education and training working as a school administrator, bursar or in an associated management role.
The programme of study is practice-based focusing on developing an understanding of leadership and management in education and other contexts, personnel and human resource management, financial management including procurement and an understanding of education policy, practice and developments within the UK and other countries.
By studying on this course, you’ll be equipped with the leadership, development and management skills required to face current and future educational priorities. You’ll study alongside educational practitioners and researchers, giving you valuable insight and the skills that will help you stand out in the education sector. We’ll help you develop high-level research and communication abilities, as well as your motivation and confidence so you graduate with the attributes needed to succeed.
We ensure the course reflects the changes and issues the education sector faces on a daily basis, which means you’ll be given relevant and cutting-edge information. You’ll be trained to meet the future educational needs of children, young people and adult learners in complex and increasingly globalised contexts.
If you're pursuing a career in the education sector and are looking to improve your professional abilities for progression into a more senior role, our MA Education (Leadership and Management) online degree is designed just for you.
If you have the full DELTA (Cambridge Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)) qualification you may be eligible for 60 credits at level 7 against our MA Education – contact us for more information.
Our online MA Education (Leadership and Management) is designed for those who have experience of working in schools, colleges, universities or any education context, and who seek to develop a better understanding of how educational leadership influences the experiences of staff and students.
Drawing on research from the UK and Internationally, on this programme you will:
- improve your understanding of leadership practices in national and international social, cultural, political and policy contexts
- strengthen your knowledge of leadership and change management
- explore existing and emerging international research-informed knowledge of educational leadership
- enable a deeper critical understanding of the organisation, and the environment in which course members operate
- critically analyse and evaluate your own and others' leadership practice.
This Masters is ideal if you are already in a first position of responsibility within an education setting, seeking to enhance your skills and knowledge in a wide range of leadership and management theories and issues.
Visit our website where you can try this course for free! Our course taster allows you to access a selection of content from a module within this course and experience online learning first hand.
Our MA / PGCert Education (Leadership and Management) is not a teaching qualification but previous students have benefited from this postgraduate degree, helping them to gain more senior roles, enriching their teaching, challenging their preconceptions and boosting their confidence.
Students frequently tell us that they most enjoy hearing the diverse mix of experiences, ideas and opinions brought by others taking the course, especially when that challenges their own thinking. Online discussion forums make this possible, and with such a wide variety of people on the course, from the UK and overseas, that’s not surprising. Our tutors have many years’ experience in the education sector themselves, so they understand your profession and are sympathetic to the pressures of balancing study with a busy teaching job.
Studying online gives you the flexibility to study at the most convenient time and place for you. The course is divided into modules which are scheduled over fixed trimesters so there will be deadlines to meet; however you can organise your study time around your work and personal commitments in order to complete each module within the set time parameters.
Online class discussions are largely focused on contextualisation of theory to practice, so it’s stimulating, engaging and highly relevant to your day-to-day, professional life.
Our Education Management MA is designed for professionals who teach, lecture or organise educational provision at any level. The course combines problem solving and critical perspectives, and extensively explores practical education management problems. Our staff have international reputations in their field, allowing you to learn the most advanced current thinking and develop your ideas with leading experts.
This course draws on various disciplines, such as sociology, political science, economics, history and contemporary policy making to provide a critical perspective on contemporary education management. At the same time, the course has a strong problem-solving perspective, which places education management in schools, colleges and universities within the current political, social and educational context. We will develop your evaluation and decision-making skills within real-life educational situations. You will benefit from this course no matter the level at which you teach, lecture or organise educational provision. It will enable you to reflect on your practice and to inform such reflections by extending your knowledge.
For all those who teach, lecture or organise educational provision at any level. The programme enables professionals concerned with education to reflect on their practice and to inform such reflection by extending their knowledge. Students will be made aware of significant current developments in contemporary pedagogical policy and practice.
Teaching
For each 30-credit module you will have 20 hours of lectures and seminars, and we will expect you to undertake 280 hours of independent study. There are 10.5 hours of academic study skills workshops and for your dissertation you will receive nine hours of one-to-one supervision and 24 hours of research methods lectures. You will also undertake 567 hours of independent study for the dissertation module.
Assessment
The 30-credit taught modules are normally assessed by a 6,000 word assignment, but assessment methods do vary and will depend on the optional modules selected. The 60-credit dissertation is assessed by an extended piece of writing of 16,000 words.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect.
The MA in Education Management will allow you to develop the analytical and problem-solving capabilities that are essential for anyone aspiring to occupy management or leadership roles in education today. Graduates of this course have gone on to posts around the world and across a range of education sectors, from primary/secondary schools through to Further and Higher Education.
This postgraduate programme is designed to offer professionals the opportunity to engage in systematic and analytical enquiry into the theory and practice of leadership and management in education. Students will use the knowledge and skills gained to improve their own practice, in leadership and management roles, across the whole range of educational institutions and related organisations.
While keeping a concern for people and human flourishing at its forefront, the course will strengthen your understanding of advanced scholarship in educational leadership and management, and of how the established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge. Using this approach, you will be able to critically examine the organisations and systems in which you work, and achieve outcomes for stakeholders.
This course will encourage you to specialise in your particular areas of interest, reflecting your professional role and future career goals in education leadership and management.
Modules are normally taught at early evening sessions. Full time students usually attend between three and four days a week. Part time students in full time employment usually take three years to complete the full MA and they normally attend one evening in the autumn semester and two in the spring/summer semester.
The programme provides opportunities to engage with current research covering a broad range of issues and recent thinking, and is informed by active research and scholarship in the development of educational leadership and management theory and practice. The University of Roehampton’s School of Education undertakes leading research, and is committed to working in partnership with people, families and communities. The school also puts an emphasis on the development of students in their professionalism and commitment to social justice. The programme has an international profile and brings together students at postgraduate level from around the world.
You will study leadership and management in educational contexts from international perspectives to develop your knowledge, understanding and practice. Specifically, modules will cover aspects such as leading teaching and learning, developing staff and teams, organisational theory and strategy. These modules will take a people-focused approach, to understand the complexities of individuals and teams, and wider groups such as the staff, the organisation itself and beyond.
The programme enables you to specialise in particular areas of interest by giving a choice in your assignment and dissertation topics so your study has an immediate relevance and also prepares you for your future development as a practitioner and as a researcher.
If you are currently in a senior management position, then a special route may be possible for you depending upon your experience and courses completed with organisations such as the National College for Teaching and Leadership.
A key aspect of the Education Leadership and Management MA is the undertaking of a piece of research. You will study the foundational skills and concepts in academic enquiry, and planning for your specialist research. Your research will be in the form of a dissertation, as a means of critically enquiring into and developing knowledge about an issue or question relevant to your study.
Modules
Careers in leadership and management in schools, colleges, universities and early years settings; working in government organizations and educational charities; consultancy; training industries and further academic study at PhD level. Research areas include education policy, enhancement and quality, inspection and review systems.
The MSc Education is our flagship taught postgraduate degree and one of our most popular programmes. It provides an ideal foundation for students who wish to work in education policy, research or practice or for those who want to go on to doctoral level study.
We are currently taking applications for a general MSc Education and now, new for 2017/2018, applicants have the opportunity to choose a pathway in a particular area of education where we have research and teaching strengths. The pathways on offer are a new and exciting innovation to the programme.
Through strategically designed compulsory courses and a wide range of options, this programme allows you to focus your studies on particular areas of interest and relevance to your educational and professional aims. With guidance from our staff and in a lively and supportive student community, you will take part in social and philosophical reflection about the nature, value and purposes of education.
You will learn through a combination of lectures, student-led seminars/presentations and, where appropriate, practical skills training and project work. You will complete 4 compulsory courses and depending on the pathway you choose, you’ll choose from a range of option courses.
Compulsory courses;
Pathways
Students enrolling on the MSc Education programme will, from 2017/2018 academic session onwards, be able to either gain a general MSc degree in Education or else take a specific pathway. The pathways are based upon research and teaching strengths in the school:
Please note that courses and course content may change each year.
This broad programme can open up a similarly diverse range of career options. Past students have undertaken further study and doctoral research, while others have applied their knowledge and skills to a variety of education-related fields, from school teaching, educational policy and administration, to recruitment, charity-related educational research and political advisory roles.
You will graduate with a highly regarded degree and transferable skills in areas such as communication and project management, which can be applied to roles in any field.
This specialist programme is suitable for educators such as teachers, school leaders, lecturers, inspectors, administrators and officials who want to gain an insight into educational policy issues of current global significance and their implications for the effective leadership of educational institutions.
The policy themes are covered in the first semester, and the leadership and management implications are covered in the second semester. Both areas emphasise an international comparative perspective.
Optional modules are to be taken from across the School of Education to place your studies in a broader context, including those tat cover research methods; technology, education and society; and special educational needs. There is also access to modules offered in the School of Politics and International Studies, including education and development, global justice, and global inequalities and development.
Participants from around the world come together to learn from each other as well as our tutors: all of whom are expert researchers in their fields. You’ll learn to apply critically educational theories to real challenges affecting schools, further and higher education worldwide.
You’ll have a wide range of opportunities to enhance your learning.
In your first year of postgraduate study, you’ll be able to join the British Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society (BELMAS), complete with the access to leading journals and events that it provides, including its annual conference. You’ll also be encouraged to join the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration (CCEA).
In addition, we provide opportunities for educational visits, including a local school and a visit to London to discuss educational policy development with the local MP and civil servants.
The programme provides a comprehensive coverage of educational policy, leadership and management from an international comparative perspective.
There will be a wide choice of assignment topics, so that you can focus on themes of personal professional interest, including policy and leadership issues relating to schools, colleges and/or universities.
From the beginning of the programme, you’ll develop your research skills and apply them to your critical study. This gives you the chance to conduct independent research on a topic of your choice, which may be related to your own professional background.
You’ll be expected to sit in on our Getting Started: Research Questions and Approaches module to improve your understanding of educational research, unless your tutor believes you already have enough knowledge in this area.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.
You take three core modules, including your dissertation. You then choose another one or two optional modules from the School of Education or the closely-related MA in Global Development offered by the School of Politics and International Studies to complete the programme.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Most of our taught modules use a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials, and you’ll also be able to enhance your learning by attending the visits we organise to government departments and educational institutions.
However, independent study is also an important part of this programme, allowing you to form your own ideas and develop high-level skills.
We assess the module Contemporary Global Challenges for Research-informed Education Policy and Practice through an oral presentation on an educational policy issue supported by either a PowerPoint or a Poster to the equivalent of a 3,000 word assignment (worth 50%) and a 3,000 word essay assignment (worth 50%).
The assessment for Critical Perspectives on Educational Leadership Theory and Practice is through a single essay of around 6,000 words. This will provide a transition in the preparation of a more extended piece of writing leading up to the 12,000 word critical study.
Other modules selected from the School of Education and/or the School of Politics and International Studies may use similar or different methods of assessment, such as assignments, reflective logs and portfolio work, depending on the modules you choose.
Masters programmes in Education and TESOL – Scholarships available for outstanding candidates
